Voltage, alternator, water pump issue (with pics). Please help.

Hey all, thanks in advance for the help. I have a 1995 XJ 4.0, AT. I have recently developed an issue where my voltage meter on the dash is dropping down to around 9 when idling, it will come back up slowly when moving. If I have the AC on it stays at around 9 and will not come up. It will shut off my radar detector (which will say low voltage please unplug). Last night the lights got very dim and when letting off the gas the tachometer would drop to zero, when I shut the air off and gave it gas the tach jumped back up to normal. It makes a "clanging" sound you can hear in the cabin but more so when the hood is open, I tried to capture it on video and will try to post it here. Also my belt does squeal a bit and I'm not sure if the water pump pulley is angled off a little bit which I have included pics of too. Could the clanging sound be my waterpump and it is throwing my belt out of whack so the alternator is not functioning correctly? Check engine light is also on. Thank you again! (It won't let me post pics right now)

Should not drop to 9 ever. You probably have a bad battery and the car is running off the alternator which can't keep up at low-RPM idle. Also check your battery terminal wires

ehall said:

Should not drop to 9 ever. You probably have a bad battery and the car is running off the alternator which can't keep up at low-RPM idle. Also check your battery terminal wires

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Should I have the battery tested? The sticker on it is from 09 it is an Optima Blue top that came with the Jeep when I bought it. Thank you for your quick reply.

https://youtu.be/gEWoxyXMQtQ

https://youtu.be/v5Gt6N2Blw0

https://youtu.be/Z-UPvL2D4xw

Your videos I didn't watch, some err there. A tool to help you would be a volt-ohm meter. They're a must for car repair. A-zone can do an alternator test for you, and check you battery output.

JiggaLoew said:

Should I have the battery tested? The sticker on it is from 09 it is an Optima Blue top that came with the Jeep when I bought it. Thank you for your quick reply.

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Average battery life is about 5 years, yours is 6ish. I would get it checked.

Low volts could also be failing alternator, such as worn brushes.

I would remove the belt and see if everything turns smooth.

I can't make out the clanking noise. I would remove the brushes and inspect.

Or have both alternator and battery checked.

You can also whack the alternator with a long pipe, pry bar, or punch and see if that changes the volts. If yes, replace the alternator.

Belt squealing is usually a loose belt or a bad component.